Interdisciplinary Healthcare Studies
With the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Healthcare Studies (IHC), you will acquire health expertise across disciplines, enabling you to pursue an interdisciplinary degree that extends beyond training for direct clinical care provision and complements the need to obtain supportive positions in healthcare.
This major is well-suited for you if you are passionate about health and healthcare and seek to understand the organization of the provision of medical care in contemporary societies. This may include those who do not wish to become a direct care provider.
Curricular RequirementsDegree plan Advising Apply
Students will take a variety of classes from five core areas:
- Science of the Body - familiarizing students with biological and health science specific understanding of the physical body.
- Social Science - teaching multiple perspectives, theories of behavior, and environmental factors that affect human health.
- Healthcare Systems and Leadership - concentrating on ethics, leadership, and healthcare management.
- Information Literacy - focusing on research methods, health literacy, and information systems.
- Knowledge Integration and Application - centering on application of knowledge to understand disease management, healthcare ethics, dissemination of health information, and service learning.
Curricular Requirements for the B.S. in Interdisciplinary Healthcare Studies can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog.
This program will provide students with an understanding of healthcare as a complex system. Students will develop organizational competencies to prepare them to become the next generation of healthcare professional workers.
Program Goals
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Apply ethical, professional, collaborative, and culturally-sensitive behaviors within communities and healthcare settings.
- Integrate knowledge and skills from multiple scientific perspectives to understand the social determinants of health and unpack systemic healthcare problems (including racism, unequal access, gender inequities, and ableism).
- Locate, critically analyze, and apply data in a manner that supports evidence-based healthcare practice.
- Communicate effectively with laypersons and healthcare professionals on a variety of health and healthcare related topics.
Skills Acquired
Upon completion of this program, students will have an understanding of multiple disciplines and perspectives and the ability to communicate scientific findings to diverse audiences. Additionally students will gain the following skills:
- Oral and written communication
- Critical thinking
- Team work
- Leadership
- Community building
- Problem solving
Students will be prepared to pursue a variety of non-clinical positions in healthcare, as well as advanced degree programs.
A Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Healthcare Studies positions students to pursue a variety of non-clinical positions in healthcare. Graduates will be prepared to pursue job opportunities in a variety of supportive and non-clinical positions in hospitals, healthcare delivery settings, insurance companies, academic and research settings, non-profit/government settings such as the health department, and more.
Job opportunities include the following:
- Case Manager
- Clinical Research Coordinator
- Community Health Educator
- Health Coach
- Healthcare Coordinator
- Healthcare Knowledge Broker
- Health Services Evaluator
- Patient Care Coordinator
- Health Policy / Advocate Fellow
- Research Associate / Project Manager
Graduates will also be equipped to apply to graduate school for advanced degrees in Health Policy, a Master in Public Health, a Master in Business Administration or an Executive MBA, and other various degree programs.
Job Outlook
Health and healthcare occupations are expected to increase significantly in the next decade due to an aging population which increases demand for healthcare services. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects a 13% growth in health care jobs from 2021 to 2031, adding about 2 million new jobs and growing much faster than average.
Average Salary
In Michigan, the average salary for an Interdisciplinary Healthcare Studies major is around $64,000. However, there is a wide range of salaries based on the position held.
Dr. Edward Rohn
Assistant Professor and Coordinator
Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
3103 Human Health Building
[email protected]